Hunting Charlie: Finding the Enemy in the Vietnam War

Learn more about the Museum & Library's latest exhibit, Hunting Charlie: Finding the Enemy in the Vietnam War.

Thank you to the friends of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library who helped make this exhibit possible.

Learn about the origins of the name "Charlie" came from.

Hồ Chí Minh was a Vietnamese communist revolutionary leader, prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). 

The United States was never far from the mind of Hồ Chí Minh. 

List of the leaders of the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) – North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the National Liberation Front – Viet Cong

The League for the Independence of Vietnam (Việt Nam Độc Lập Đồng Minh Hội), known as the Việt Minh, was formed in 1941 as a coalition of nationalistic Vietnamese groups. 

After WWII, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China pushed nationalists in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Korea towards adopting communism as a base for their independence.

The first regiment of the military arm of the Viet Minh was created for operations against the French around Hanoi. The regiment formed the basis for the People's Army of Vietnam, which was commonly called the North Vietnamese Army by the U.S. 

The architect of the People’s Army of Vietnam’s (PAVN) victory against the French at Diên Biên Phu, Võ Nguyên Giáp first came to prominence during the Vietnamese resistance to Japanese occupation in World War II.

United States soldiers had difficulty differentiating between willing Viet Cong members and intimidated civilians living in South Vietnam.  United States soldiers often fixated on identifying the actual enemy.

With Nguyễn Hữu Xuyên in command of military operations in South Vietnam, the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) was created to spread communism into South Vietnam. 

Veteran's quote: James H. Mukoyama Jr., then captain, remembers the determination of the enemy. In the audio clip, Marine Corps Veteran Corporal Ken Rodgers recalls an intense moment he experienced during the Vietnam War.

Veteran's quote—Captain Wayne L. Fischer reflects on the difficulty of identifying the true enemy during the Vietnam War. 

The Geneva Accords of 1954 created a military separation line at the 17th Parallel—communist government to the north, democratic government to the south. Many civilians relocated to both areas with the hopes of a better life, believing they would be freely able to return to their homes.

A propaganda campaign paid for by the United States urged people, particularly Catholics, to relocated to South Vietnam, while providing aid in the form of money, food, medical care, clothing and temporary shelter. 

According to Vietnamese superstition, the owl is a bad omen, signaling to people that they are about to die, and alerting ghosts to come feast on a soul. This cultural reference paired with a National Liberation Front political agenda creates a powerful piece of propaganda. 

North Vietnam used propaganda to portray Ngô Đình Diệm, the president of the Republic of Vietnam (widely known as South Vietnam), as a power-hungry and corrupt leader who profited on the death of Vietnamese citizens.

The United States military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) focused on logistical, material and training support in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietman.) The Army of the Republic of Vietnam struggled against the guerilla style fighting of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong.) 

Lyndon B. Johnson struggled to navigate political chaos in Vietnam and in the United States, after becoming president following John F. Kennedy's assassination. A coup d’état in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) and an attack on USS Maddox by North Vietnam pushes conventional military force from the U.S. 

The term "Bronze Fortress" was initially coined by Hồ Chí Minh when he described revolutionary forces in South Vietnam against the French in 1945. During the Vietnam war, the term was invoked by the communist party to represent the frontline in the war agains the United States.

The Central Intelligence Agency issues a memorandum in 1965, expressing significant doubts about the introduction of U.S. combat troops in Vietnam. 

As the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) struggled to curb ongoing violence by the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong,) the United States began Operation Chopper and Operation Ranch Hand—using paratroopers and defoliants to combat the Viet Cong and reduce food and coverage. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam produced propaganda praising the Viet Cong's resistance to these measures. 

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) turned to many other communist nations and leaders after WWII. 

The Vietnam War and ideological differences between the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union, caused tension between communist parties in Indochina. Cambodia became a target for the United States to disrupt supply lines to North Vietnam, and a dangerous place for ethnic Vietnamese people living in the country.

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) produced propaganda through poster, radio and newspaper implying all communist countries supported the North Vietnamese war to expel the American invaders from Vietnam. 

Propaganda produced by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) sought to both hide information about their wounded or killed soldiers, and pursuade their citizens that capitlist countries valued money over people's lives–including soldiers. 

Vietnam veteran's quote—1st Lieutenant John Schwan remembers the brutal tactics the Viet Cong employed to fight during the Vietnam War–often at the cost of civilians. In the audio clip, veteran Karl Marlantes speaks of a humanizing event.

In order to replenish the losses following the Tet Offensive, the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) began pressing every person who could hold a weapon into military service, including children.

Despite their armory, many pilots of UH-1 "Huey" helicopters were killed or wounded by ground rifle fire, often by women and children in rural areas controlled by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam.)

Vietnam veteran's quote —Marshal T. Sherman, then Specialist 4, 5th Infantry Division, US Army 1969-1971, remembers the elusive and ephemeral nature of the enemy in the Vietnam War.  In the audio clip, veteran Ken Rodgers discusses the fighting tactics of the enemy, which he witnessed first hand during the Tet Offensive. 

Drawing on a long tradition of revered women warriors in Vietnemese history, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) created propaganda to encourage women to connect the welfare of their families with the security of their country. 

Vietnam veteran's quote—Hal Moore reflects on his initial thoughts going into the Vietnam War. In the audio clip, he tells of the well-trained and well-disciplined North Vietnamese army that he faced during the Battle of the la Drang Valley. 

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) under reported casualties to the public in and planned propaganda attacks designed to illicit international outcry against the United States' involvement in Vietnam. 

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) relied on its citizens' work to keep transportation systems open and supplies moving to their soldiers, creating propagana designed to keep the public focused on industry. 

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam), supplied with anitaircraft equipment by their communist allies in the Soviet Union and the Democratic Republic of China, sent men to school in the Soviet Union to learn how to use missle defense systems and antiaircraft artillery.

The United States found a dependable ally against the Viet Cong in the tribal Montagnards who lived in the central highlands of Vietnam–a group who had also experienced brutality at the hands of the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong).

Vietnam veteran's quote—Major General James Mukoyama recounts the atrocities committed against the Vietnamese civilian population. In the audio clip, a segment of Paul LaFalce – a machine gunner with the 4th Infantry Division – recounts his experience in an ambush on the Viet Cong. 

The National Liberation Front used a number of brutal tactics to discourage and intimidate enlistment in the Republic of Vietnam's (South Vietnam) army, including assassinations and kidnappings.

Vietnam veteran's quote— R.B. Downey, then 1st Lieutenant 1969-1970, reflects on his experience with Vietnemese civilians. 

Vietnam veteran's quote—Dr. Lee Strohl, then captain, 5th Infantry Division, U.S. Army 1970-1971, looks back on the difficult task of providing medical aid to the civilian population in Vietnam, while knowing that the Viet Cong could be hiding among them in plain sight.  In the audio clip, veteran Wayne Fischer explains the tactics used by the Viet Cong to trick U.S. soldiers. 

During the war, United States servicemen worked with the Red Cross, providing medical and food aid to villages–even with the knowledge that the people they served could be working with the Viet Cong. 

Propaganda aimed at the public in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) sought to turn the public against the United States, painting the US as greedy and indifferent to human life. 

The Democratic Pepublic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) promoted and encouraged civilians to aid in the capture of pilots and airmen from downed aircraft. 

After the United States withdrew from Vietnam, the communist governments of Vietnam and Cambodia (Khmer Rouge) dissolved their alliance and immediately began skirmishes along their shared border. In 1978, Vietnamese forces overran the Cambodian forces and installed a puppet government, occupying Cambodia for a decade. 

Veteran's quote—John Borling, then Captain 433rd Fighter Squadron, U.S. Air Force 1965-1973 remembers his time as a prisoner of war. 

Active in the anti-war movement, Jane Fonda traveled to Hanoi in the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) in July 1972. 

Jane Fonda, dubbed "Hanoi Jane" after her trip through North Vietnam, is still widely recognized as a traitor in modern-day pop culture.

Vietnam veteran's quote— Dominic R. Sondy, then private first class, 1st Infantry Division, U.S Army 1968-1970, reflects on his experience with Vietnemese POWs. 

Five hundred and ninety-one prisoners of war were repatriated after the signing of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords. 

The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) refused to grant captured United States servicemen the rights and privileges guaranteed under the Geneva Convention, but instead staged photographs of humane treatment of prisoners in an attempt to counteract international outrage.

Propaganda posters produced by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) giving orders to U.S. POWs served the dual purpose of intimidating prisoners and encouraging citizens to aid in the capture of more servicemen. 

Leading up to the Hồ Chí Minh campaign, created six years after Hồ Chí Minh's death, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong,) the United States helped evacuate more than 130,000 refugees from Vietnam. This campaign pushed the communist parties into South Vietnam, taking over Saigon and finally ending the war. 

More than two million refugees flee their native Vietnam in an attempt to seek asylum in neighboring countries. 

The pieces in this exhibit were collected by Bruce Blowitz and loaned to the Museum & Library by his good friend, Albert Goodman. 

During the Citizen Soldier episode Fiction of War, author Tim O’Brien expressed a sentiment that would become one of the main themes of the Hunting Charlie exhibit: “It’s as if we had no enemy.”

William "Bill" Mauldin's original cartoon drawings are featured in the exhibit.  

These artifacts were found on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, the infamous route used by the North Vietnamese to supply the Viet Cong.

Discover the books from the Pritzker Military Museum & Library's collection referenced for the creation of this exhibit.

What is your opinion on the enemy in the Vietnam War? Share your thoughts in an online survey.